How Do I Find the Time to Babywear?
I get it. You’re a busy parent. Mouths to feed, a house to keep, maybe even a job to go to, and all manner of things to keep you occupied.
And now someone is telling you to babywear!
Do you have space in your life for one more thing?
Do you have the time to learn how to use a baby carrier, and then would you even find the time to wear your baby regularly?
Yes, as crazy as it might sound!
Here’s why I think you would manage to squeeze it in…
Quick to Learn!
Most baby carriers will come with instructions on how to use them, and a simple buckle carrier can be clipped on and adjusted in less than five minutes. Ring slings and woven wraps can have a bit more of a learning curve, but all it takes is few video tutorials or a bit of help from a babywearing consultant, and you’ll have baby up in your first carry!
Quick to Put On
Once you know what you’re doing, you can usually put your baby or toddler up in less than a minute. Even with a woven wrap, I can get a basic ruck back carry or FWCC front carry done in that much time. Structured carrier users can probably manage it even quicker! Really, using a baby carrier is just as quick as putting up a pram or buckling your kid into a car seat.
Multi-Tasking Tool
Isn’t life busy? Sometimes I just wish there were more hours in the day! Sadly, not possible! Sometimes the next best thing is to do more than one thing at a time. With a baby carrier, you can settle/entertain/hang out with your child while doing something else (like the never-ending chores). It’s the ultimate multi-tasking tool for parents!
Kids Out of the Way
Nothing much wastes time like your little one getting underfoot or undoing your hard work fixing the house up. When they’re up in the carrier, the only thing they can mess up is your hair. This is my go-to for when we have guests arriving at any moment or a house inspection.
They’ll Need Cuddles Anyway
Babies and toddlers need a lot of cuddles from their mums and dads. In the very beginning, most babies would prefer cuddles 24/7! The great thing about a baby carrier is you can give them all the physical contact they need without your arms getting tired or being stuck on the couch. Investing a small amount of time into learning how to use a carrier will pay off in a big way!
More Portable = More Time Saving
With a carrier, I can jump in the car and go places in about a minute. It takes the same amount of time to get out of the car again. This is because I’m not hauling a pram in and out each time. I just chuck whatever carrier I’m using in (and on), and away we go! I can also move about more easily with my baby, cutting across on all types of ground, weaving through crowds, and navigating through narrow shopping aisles. Being so portable definitely saves me time.
Less Time Settling to Sleep
One the biggest drains on time as a parent is helping your child fall asleep. Some nights it can literally take over an hour here. Even though it can feel frustrating and sometimes like you’re the only parent struggling with this, not sleeping on their own is normal for babies. It can take a few years before they figure that out!
When your baby is still tiny, they need to be able to sleep a lot, and if they struggle to relax on their own it can feel like all you’re doing is trying to put your baby to sleep! The best thing about a baby carrier is that it’s an environment that automatically calms and relaxes your little one so that when they’re ready to sleep, they can drop off, even while you’re busy doing other things.
As you can see, even though there might be a teensy investment of time when you first start to wear your baby, this quickly pays off, saving you LOTS of time and effort in the long run. It is so worth it, trust me!
If you’re ready to give it a go, the first thing you should do is set aside a little bit of time to learn. Book in with a babywearing consultant or head to a local babywearing meet. Or even just watch some YouTube tutorials. Getting your babywearing journey on the right track will help you feel confident with your carrier so that you can get on with this crazy life!
You might even find you have some spare time to sit down with all the multi-tasking you can do… ;-)
Happy babywearing,
Angela
Xo
P.S. If you liked this article, please SHARE! :-)
P.P.S. If you’re struggling to get the hang of your carrier or want some one-on-one help to get it right from the start, Brooke is a qualified babywearing consultant and can help!
Copyright Brooke Maree © 2017
Being a copycat or blatantly stealing is never cool. There is a fine line between inspiration and stealing, so please be respectful, honest, and full of integrity when sharing this piece of writing or using its information. Many hours of work, planning, and editing goes into our pieces to ensure the highest quality first-hand information. Any of our work that is plagiarised will more than likely be found and brought to attention. That being said, you are ALWAYS welcome to share our content, as long as you attribute and link back to the source. xxx
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